Comfort Dogs Help Students Cope With Mass Shooting At Umpqua Community College

Students and staff are ready to go back to campus after last week’s deadly mass shooting at Umpqua Community College, but, given the situation, they need all the help they can get to cope with the tragedy.

Apart from receiving support from numerous counselors, both students and teachers now have the opportunity to spend some time with comfort dogs who are also doing everything they can to help them deal with their grief.

Here’s what Andy Rathe, K-9 comfort dog administrator said:

“Our aim is to bring comfort, peace, and hope through our presence and prayer in the midst of a terrible tragedy where hope and peace can be difficult to find.”

He also said that they visited the 911 dispatchers to show their gratitude for staying composed during the entire rampage and successfully conveying important information to people who first responded to the shooting.

The dogs will remain at the college for about a week, but will also dedicate some time to visiting local schools, fire houses, and first responders.